the titan-第116节

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estments　than　the　North　and　West　Chicago　railways。　　It　would　be　advisable；　in　my　judgment；　that　all　the　lines　out　there　should　be　consolidated　and　be　put　in　his　charge。　He　would　make　money　for　the　stockholders。　　He　seems　to　know　how　to　run　street…railways。〃

〃You　know；〃　replied　Mr。　Fishel；　as　smug　and　white　as　Mr。　Haeckelheimer；　and　in　thorough　sympathy　with　his　point　of　view；　〃I　have　been　thinking　of　something　like　that　myself。　　All　this　quarreling　should　be　hushed　up。　　It's　very　bad　for　businessvery。　　Once　they　get　that　public…ownership　nonsense　started；　it　will　be　hard　to　stop。　　There　has　been　too　much　of　it　already。〃

Mr。　Fishel　was　stout　and　round　like　Mr。　Haeckelheimer；　but　much　smaller。　　He　was　little　more　than　a　walking　mathematical　formula。　In　his　cranium　were　financial　theorems　and　syllogisms　of　the　second；　third；　and　fourth　power　only。

And　now　behold　a　new　trend　of　affairs。　　Mr。　Timothy　Arneel；　attacked　by　pneumonia；　dies　and　leaves　his　holdings　in　Chicago　City　to　his　eldest　son；　Edward　Arneel。　　Mr。　Fishel　and　Mr。　Haeckelheimer；　through　agents　and　then　direct；　approach　Mr。　Merrill　in　behalf　of　Cowperwood。　　There　is　much　talk　of　profitshow　much　more　profitable　has　been　the　Cowperwood　regime　over　street…railway　lines　than　that　of　Mr。　Schryhart。　　Mr。　Fishel　is　interested　in　allaying　socialistic　excitement。　　So；　by　this　time；　is　Mr。　Merrill。　　Directly　hereafter　Mr。　Haeckelheimer　approaches　Mr。　Edward　Arneel；　who　is　not　nearly　so　forceful　as　his　father；　though　he　would　like　to　be　so。　　He；　strange　to　relate；　has　come　rather　to　admire　Cowperwood　and　sees　no　advantage　in　a　policy　that　can　only　tend　to　municipalize　local　lines。　　Mr。　Merrill；　for　Mr。　Fishel；　approaches　Mr。　Hand。　　〃Never！　never！　never！〃　says　Hand。　　Mr。　Haeckelheimer　approaches　Mr。　Hand。　〃Never！　never！　never！　To　the　devil　with　Mr。　Cowperwood！〃　But　as　a　final　emissary　for　Mr。　Haeckelheimer　and　Mr。　Fishel　there　now　appears　Mr。　Morgan　Frankhauser；　the　partner　of　Mr。　Hand　in　a　seven…million…dollar　traction　scheme　in　Minneapolis　and　St。　Paul。　Why　will　Mr。　Hand　be　so　persistent？　Why　pursue　a　scheme　of　revenge　which　only　stirs　up　the　masses　and　makes　municipal　ownership　a　valid　political　idea；　thus　disturbing　capital　elsewhere？　Why　not　trade　his　Chicago　holdings　to　him；　Frankhauser；　for　Pittsburg　traction　stockshare　and　share　alikeand　then　fight　Cowperwood　all　he　pleases　on　the　outside？

Mr。　Hand；　puzzled；　astounded；　scratching　his　round　head；　slaps　a　heavy　hand　on　his　desk。　　〃Never！〃　he　exclaims。　　〃Never；　by　Godas　long　as　I　am　alive　and　in　Chicago！〃　And　then　he　yields。　　Life　does　shifty　things；　he　is　forced　to　reflect　in　a　most　puzzled　way。　　Never　would　he　have　believed　it！　〃Schryhart；〃　he　declared　to　Frankhauser；　〃will　never　come　in。　　He　will　die　first。　　Poor　old　Timothyif　he　were　alivehe　wouldn't　either。〃

〃Leave　Mr。　Schryhart　out　of　it；　for　Heaven's　sake；〃　pleaded　Mr。　Frankhauser；　a　genial　American　German。　　〃Haven't　I　troubles　enough？〃

Mr。　Schryhart　is　enraged。　　Never！　never！　never！　He　will　sell　out　firstbut　he　is　in　a　minority；　and　Mr。　Frankhauser；　for　Mr。　Fishel　or　Mr。　Haeckelheimer；　will　gladly　take　his　holdings。

Now　behold　in　the　autumn　of　1897　all　rival　Chicago　street…railway　lines　brought　to　Mr。　Cowperwood　on　a　platter；　as　it　werea　golden　platter。

〃Ve　haff　it　fixed；〃　confidentially　declared　Mr。　Gotloeb　to　Mr。　Cowperwood；　over　an　excellent　dinner　in　the　sacred　precincts　of　the　Metropolitan　Club　in　New　York。　　Time；　8。30　P。M。　　Winesparkling　burgundy。　　〃A　telegram　come　shusst　to…day　from　Frankhauser。　　A　nice　man　dot。　　You　shouldt　meet　him　sometime。　　Hanthe　sells　out　his　stock　to　Frankhauser。　　Merrill　unt　Edward　Arneel　vork　vit　us。　Ve　hantle　efferyt'ing　for　dem。　　Mr。　Fishel　vill　haff　his　friends　pick　up　all　de　local　shares　he　can；　unt　mit　dees　tree　ve　control　de　board。　　Schryhart　iss　out。　　He　sess　he　vill　resign。　　Very　goot。　I　don't　subbose　dot　vill　make　you　veep　any。　　It　all　hintges　now　on　vether　you　can　get　dot　fifty…year…franchise　ordinance　troo　de　city　council　or　not。　　Haeckelheimer　sess　he　prefers　you　to　all　utters　to　run　t'ings。　　He　vill　leef　everytink　positifely　in　your　hands。　　Frankhauser　sess　de　same。　　Vot　Haeckelheimer　sess　he　doess。　Now　dere　you　are。　　It's　up　to　you。　　I　vish　you　much　choy。　　It　is　no　small　chop　you　haff；　beating　de　newspapers；　unt　you　still　haff　Hant　unt　Schryhart　against　you。　　Mr。　Haeckelheimer　askt　me　to　pay　his　complimends　to　you　unt　to　say　vill　you　dine　vit　him　next　veek；　or　may　he　dine　vit　youvicheffer　iss　most　conveniend。　　So。〃

In　the　mayor's　chair　of　Chicago　at　this　time　sat　a　man　named　Walden　H。　Lucas。　　Aged　thirty…eight；　he　was　politically　ambitious。　　He　had　the　elements　of　popularitythe　knack　or　luck　of　fixing　public　attention。　　A　fine；　upstanding；　healthy　young　buck　he　was；　subtle；　vigorous；　a　cool；　direct；　practical　thinker　and　speaker；　an　eager　enigmatic　dreamer　of　great　political　honors　to　come；　anxious　to　play　his　cards　just　right；　to　make　friends；　to　be　the　pride　of　the　righteous；　and　yet　the　not　too　uncompromising　foe　of　the　wicked。　　In　short；　a　youthful；　hopeful　Western　Machiavelli；　and　one　who　could；　if　he　chose；　serve　the　cause　of　the　anti…Cowperwood　struggle　exceedingly　well　indeed。

Cowperwood；　disturbed；　visits　the　mayor　in　his　office。

〃Mr。　Lucas；　what　is　it　you　personally　want？　What　can　I　do　for　you？　Is　it　future　political　preferment　you　are　after？〃

〃Mr。　Cowperwood；　there　isn't　anything　you　can　do　for　me。　　You　do　not　understand　me；　and　I　do　not　understand　you。　　You　cannot　understand　me　because　I　am　an　honest　man。〃

〃Ye　gods！〃　replied　Cowperwood。　　〃This　is　certainly　a　case　of　self…esteem　and　great　knowledge。　　Good　afternoon。〃

Shortly　thereafter　the　mayor　was　approached　by　one　Mr。　Carker；　who　was　the　shrewd；　cold；　and　yet　magnetic　leader　of　Democracy　in　the　state　of　New　York。　　Said　Carker：

〃You　see；　Mr。　Lucas；　the　great　money　houses　of　the　East　are　interested　in　this　local　contest　here　in　Chicago。　　For　example；　Haeckelheimer；　Gotloeb　&　Co。　would　like　to　see　a　consolidation　of　all　the　lines　on　a　basis　that　will　make　them　an　attractive　investment　for　buyers　generally　and　will　at　the　same　time　be　fair　and　right　to　the　city。　　A　twenty…year　contract　is　much　too　short　a　term　in　their　eyes。　　Fifty　is　the　least　they　could　comfortably　contemplate；　and　they　would　prefer　a　hundred。　　It　is　little　enough　for　so　great　an　outlay。　　The　policy　now　being　pursued　here　can　lead　only　to　the　public　ownership　of　public　utilities；　and　that　is　something　which　the　national　Democratic　party　at　large　can　certainly　not　afford　to　advocate　at　present。　　It　would　antagonize　the　money　element　from　coast　to　coast。　　Any　man　whose　political　record　was　definitely　identified　with　such　a　movement　would　have　no　possible　chance　at　even　a　state　nomination；　let　alone　a　national　one。　　He　could　never　be　elected。　　I　make　myself　clear；　do　I　not？〃

〃You　do。〃

〃A　man　can　just　as　easily　be　taken　from　the　mayor's　office　in　Chicago　as　from　the　governor's　office　at　Springfield；〃　pursued　Mr。　Carker。　　〃Mr。　Haeckelheimer　and　Mr。　Fishel　have　personally　asked　me　to　call　on　you。　　If　you　want　to　be　mayor　of　Chicago　again　for　two　years　or　governor　next　year；　until　the　time　for　picking　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency　arrives；　suit　yourself。　　In　the　mean　time　you　will　be　unwise；　in　my　judgment；　to　saddle　yourself　with　this　public…ownership　idea。　　The　newspapers　in　fighting　Mr。　Cowperwood　have　raised　an　issue　which　never　should　have　been　raised。〃

After　Mr。　Carker's　departure；　arrived　Mr。　Edward　Arneel；　of　local　renown；　and　then　Mr。　Jacob　Bethal；　the　Democratic　leader　in　San　Francisco；　both　offering　suggestions　which　if　followed　might　result　in　mutual　support。　　There　were　in　addition　delegations　of　powerful　Republicans　from　Minneapolis　and　from　Philadelphia。　　Even　the　president　of　the　Lake　City　Bank　and　the　president　of　the　Prairie　Nationalonce　anti…Cowperwoodarrived　to　say　what　had　already　been　said。　　So　it　went。　　Mr。　Lucas　was　greatly　nonplussed。　　A　political　career　was　surely　a　difficult　thing　to　effect。　　Would　it　pay　to　harry　Mr。　Cowperwood　as　he　had　set　out　to　do？　Would　a　steadfast　policy　advocating　the　cause　of　the　people　get　him　anywhere？　Would　they　be　grateful？　Would　they　remember？　Suppose　the　current　policy　of　the　newspapers　should　be　modified；　as　Mr。　Carker　had　suggested　that　it　might　be。　　What　a　mess　and　tangle　politics　really　were！

〃Well；　Bessie；〃　he　inquired　of　his　handsome；　healthy；　semi…blonde　wife；　one　evening；　〃what　would　you　do　if　you　were　I？〃

She　was　gray…eyed；　gay；　practical；　vain；　substantially　connected　in　so　far　as　family　went；　and　proud　of　her　husband's　position　and　future。　　He　had　formed　the　habit　of　talking　over　his　various　difficulties　with　her。

〃Well；　I'll　tell　you；　Wally；〃　she　replied。　　〃You've　got　to　stick　to　something。　　It　looks　to　me　as　though　the　winning　side　was　with　the　people　this　time。　　I　don't　see　how　the　newspapers　can　change　now　after　all　they've　done。　　You　don't　have　to　advocate　public　ownership　or　anything　unfair　to　the　money　element；　but　just　the　same　I'd　stick　to　my　point　that　the　fifty…year　franchise　is　too　much。　　You　ought　to　make　them　pay　the　city　something　and　get　their　franchise　without　bribery。　　They　can't　do　less　than　that。　　I'd　stick　to　the　course　you've　begun　on。　　You　can't　get　along　wi